Let’s face it. Size does matter. However, in the 21st century, smaller is definitely better when it comes to certain gadgets such as our laptops. Here’s a rundown of a few notebooks that are guaranteed to be easy on your back, and extremely easy to carry anywhere you need to go. They are actually pretty power packed, much more so than a netbook or UMPC.
These are the 10 Thinnest and Lightest laptops on the planet.
1. MacBook Air
Also known as the MBA, the MacBook Air has brought the ultra slim trend closer to home. Apple’s tiniest laptop measures a very sleek 12.8 x 8.94 x 0.76 inches and weighs 3 pounds. A 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of DDR3 SDRAM flow through the Air. Although on the small side, the 120GB SATA hard drive should be more than enough to fit your everyday storage needs. The battery should also last you at least 5 hours.
Intel’s new Metro laptop was designed by Ziba, and it measures just .7 inches thick. That’s a bout the size of a penny. It weighs just 2.25 pounds and it has flash based memory which is a big part of the reason why boasts a 14 hour battery life. The Metro laptop has not been released yet but it should be out by then end of 2009.
The Dell Adamo is the latest “MacBook Air killer” contender. Slightly thinner than its rival at 13.03 x 9.5 x 0.65 inches, the Adamo is currently the world’s thinnest laptop at 4 pounds. The keyword to remember here is “thin” since it is a tad longer and wider than the Air. The Adamo’s 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor is slightly slower than the Air while its 2GB memory and 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) keep the Adamo within striking distance. The average battery life is measured at 4.5 hours.
With Lenovo’s 12.5 x 9.1 x 0.9 laptop, you can tell that the corporate world has been bitten by the ultra slim bug. At 3.2 pounds, mindless drones will no longer have an excuse not to have their laptops stuck to their bodies. The X301 comes with a good Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 1.4 GHz processor coupled with 2GB of SDRAM memory. The 64GB SSD keeps its storage capacity small but terrible while its battery life can last up to only 4.3 hours.
Although the latest version of the Envy dates back to 2008, it’s thin 0.70” inch depth still makes it ultra slim worthy. The 12.65 x 9.04 x 0.70 dimensions complement its light 3.37 pounds. The SP 7700 Intel Core 2 Duo processor clocks in at 1.8GHz and is paired with roughly 2 GB of memory. The downsides to this gorgeous looking laptop are its low 80GB storage capacity and short life span of about 3 hours. (more…)
Yes we really are serious. The guys at iSoft have got an iPhone to run Microsoft Windows 95. The hack is based on Bochs emulator, and it uses a standard Windows 95 image. Check out the video below.
We are giving away an iPhone 3G S every month for the next three months. A random winner will be chosen once a month. The winners will be announced on our website, and on @HottestGadgets on Twitter.
Here at TheHottestGadgets.com, we really appreciate all the support we’ve had from our millions of viewers. So we decided it would be good to give some thanks back to all the people who love what we do.
We know how much you gadget lovers love the new iPhone, so we’re giving away free iPhone 3G S gift cards, which you can use to get your own brand new iPhone 3G S.
You can enter to win for free, all you have to is follow the three easy steps below.
Tired of paying for excessive phone bills? VoIP and Skype have your solution to decrease that monthly bill. Cut the cord and save money on your phone bills using VoIP technology. If you haven’t tried Skype on your computer yet, you definitely should and we have put together some gadgets that will make it much easier to do so.
Here are 21 of the coolest gadgets that have the capability to provide you with excellent VoIP, and Skype service.
1. IPEVO TR-10 Conference Phone
The TR-10 allows a user to Skype with other Skype users, landlines, or mobile phones. Even better the TR-10 lets you communicate with all three at the same time through, the conferencing capabilities it has. Have more than one friend? The TR-10 lets you conference up to nine additional people including yourself, hence the name TR-10.
The TR-10 can operate in both headset and speakerphone modes. A simple flip of the switch redirects the sound, and the TR-10 instantly changes into a headset. Mobility is not a problem with this device, with it’s size being about the same as a spare toothbrush, and toothpaste, only 15cm long. Communication with others is not all this jewel does, it also has the power to act as a high quality voice recorder for those too busy to take notes.
2. Star Trek VoIP/Skype Phone
Want to join the Star Trek hype? Then this is definitely the phone for you. Proving to be one of coolest designs to be seen in the development of Skype and VoIP phones. The Star Trek Skype/VoIP phone works through simple USB connection, and is compatible with both Windows XP, Vista, and Mac OS X 10.5. The Star Trek features speaker phone, volume controls, and mute. The added special feature is the ability to produce some of your favorite Star Trek sounds and phrases.
With over 21 special sound effects, I am sure it will take awhile to get bored with this one. Also don’t worry about having to stay directly by the computer when plugged in, the Skype phone features a 6 foot USB connection cable which can give you a little freedom to roam. This is definitely a keeper for all the Star Trek fans out there.
3. iRiver’s Wave Home
Looking for something that can do a little more than just the usual VoIP or voice recording? iRiver’s Wave Home not only does VoIP, but it also many other multimedia functions. It contains a 7″ LCD screen, and a wireless headset that not only does the duties of an average headset, but can be used as remote to control the Wave Home Station. The gadget comes packed with a 1.3 megapixel camera, this will come in handy when you want to participate in a video chat. The list of impressive features doesn’t stop there.
Want to surf the web? iRiver’s Wave Home has it covered, along with taking pictures, playing music, and providing a host of useful widgets. Interested in the weather? Your covered. Traffic, news? Your covered. The list can only continue to grow with the capabilities of this multimedia masterpiece, iRiver continues to impress those looking for multimedia units for VoIP communication. The estimated price is rumored to be around $400 and should come out sometime this year. Sadly this gadget only does VoIP but they are looking to offer a service like Skype.
4. Verizon Hub
The Verizon Hub is the first major release of a multimedia unit from the leaders in telecommunication. The Verizon Hub gives you the ability to use your normal broadband connection to place calls, minus the usual charge. This gadget gives you unlimited nationwide calling, automatic anonymous call rejection, and scheduled call forwarding.
Of course the Verizon Hub comes packed with multimedia essentials.
Messaging
Movies
VCast
Traffic
Chaperone (for those with Children, or maybe your spouse.)
Calendar
As you can see in the photo, the Verizon Hub features a beautiful high resolution screen, to make using it a little easier on the eyes. Verizon has set themselves up for a future of profitability, if the Verizon Hub gains popularity. (more…)
As everyone know’s, the frenzy over Apple’s WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference) always brings news of new Apple products, and the iPhone has been the main attraction in the last few years. The new iPhone 3G S was announced in both 16GB and 32GB versions. The “S” in 3G S stands for speed. Some of the highly anticipated features include upto 2x faster web surfing, a 3-megapixel camera and the long awaited landscape keyboard. The landscape keyboard will also be available on older iPhone models through the OS 3.0 update.
It also has a voice control feature which allows you to call someone on your contact list, or listen to a song on your iPhone, all by simply telling it to do so. (more…)
So you thought Amazon Kindle was the best device around that can deliver clear, crisp, text-like ebooks on an portable device? Guess again. Aside from the e-book readers that Amazon and Sony have developed, a German based startup is developing an e-book reader called Txtr. They claim that Txtr will deliver a better quality product with more features than the Amazon Kindle.
The Txtr uses the new electronic ink (eInk) display technology, that works by aligning black and white pigment particles in an electromagnetic field. These pigments reflect the light of the environment very naturally – like the pages of a book or a newspaper would look, making it easier to read in any lighting condition. (more…)
It was in 1976 when Mattel first introduced a handheld gaming console with Auto Race. However, it was in 1989 that this device reached mainstream popularity with Nintendo’s release of the Game Boy. Since then, manufacturers have released a wide variety of handheld game consoles which have captured the attention of gamers and the interest of non-gamers.
Twenty Five years ago, Tetris was finished by Alexey Pajitnov. A widely-respected and adored game that is also credited to have had catapulted the popularity of handheld game consoles. With this celebration, let us take a comprehensive look at handheld game consoles since they were first release.
Mattel Electronics released the Auto Race in 1976. It is credited as the first handheld game manufactured and made available to the public. The console used about 512 bytes in memory. A smaller version for this console was also manufactured later. This was followed by Mattel Football, which was a huge success in the market and thus thought of by the public as the first Mattel game. Mattel Auto Race and Football are now sought after by gaming enthusiasts and are considered as collectors’ items.
This handheld game console was released in Japan by Epoch in 1984. Epoch has released a total of 5 games for its Game Pocket Computer: Astro Bomber, Block Maze, Mahjong, Reversi and Store Keepers. It also has a puzzle game and a paint program built into the system. It had a 75 x 64 resolution for its LCD screen and powered by 4 AA batteries. The screen’s brightness could be dimmed and adjusted accordingly by the user. But Epoch Game Pocket Computer was not a success in Japan and due to this failure, it was never released for the North America market. Also, no other successors were release afterwards.
Introduced in 1979 by Milton Bradley Company, Microvision included cartridge interchangeability into handheld game consoles. It was designed by Jay Smith who later will design the Vectrex gaming console. It has enjoyed moderate success in its first year, with sales grossing $8 million in the first year of release. However, poor support for the handheld console by the manufacturer has rendered this a not so successful game as no more successors were manufactured. Microvison met its demise in 1981.
The world’s first handheld game console to have color LCD! Atari Lynx was originally design by engineers at Epyx in 1987 with the name Handy. But Epyx had some financial trouble at that time and had to find a manufacturing partner. Nintendo did not accept the invitation (they were busy with the manufacturing of another handheld console….) from Epyx while Atari hopped on into the wagon. In 1989, at the Summer CES, Portable Color Entertainment System, or what would later be called Atari Lynx.
Sold for $199, Lynx also enjoyed some moderate success in its release, with Atari manufacturing it in limited quantities. Later, Atari Lynx was relaunched with an aggressive marketing campaign, redesigned console, and improved packaging. This release is referred to as Lynx II. Atari also dropped the price for the new package, without accessories, to $99.
Specifications:
Processor: two 16-bit custom CMOS chips running at 16MHz
Memory: 64K RAM
Sound: 4 channel sound 8-bit DAC for each channel
Color: 4096 color palette, 16 simultaneous colors from palette per scan line
Resolution: 160 x 102 (16,320 addressable pixels)
Screen Size: 3.5″ diagonal (approximately 3.25″ x 1.88″)
The first portable Blu-ray player is available from Panasonic. With a suggested retail price of $799.95, the DMP-B15 features an 8.9-inch WSVGA LCD screen, 2.5 hour rechargeable battery, and SD Memory Card slot. An optional headrest mounting bracket can be used for in-car viewing.
Panasonic’s stand-alone Blu-ray technology is used in the portable player, giving it the highest level of image quality. Also, included is BD-Live access available via Panasonic’s version of WebTV, VIERA CAST
Since the DMP-B15 includes VIERA CAST with BD-Live functionality, additional Blu-ray content can be accessed via the built in LAN port. With the ability to access select web sites such as Amazon Video-on-Demand, YouTube, and Google’s Picasa Web Album, the player can turn any TV into an IPTV.
If you’re a gadget-geek, you’ve likely got quite a few gadgets and accessories to carry around. From phones to mp3 players, chargers, cables, styluses (styli?), headphones and whatever else lying around in piles under your bed, in your car, or in your backpack.
When you travel, the last thing you want is for airport security to be rummaging around in your stuff, pulling out handfulls of wires and messing up the careful organization system you’ve got going on (try archaeological: the oldest stuff on the bottom…)
Coccoon has an answer in their GRID-IT gadget-bag system, which is basically a thick divider covered in dozens of wide elastics, sized to fit into their stylish laptop bags and cases. The grid is designed to hold all of your small stuff, neatly and securely, and the pockets are designed to fit game consoles, phones, and various media. (more…)
Last week, Verizon released the MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, which is a hotspot that you can take with you anywhere. Basically, it picks up Verizon’s 3G Broadband service and distributes it to a WiFi device of your choice, just like a standard modem and router would. (more…)
Also known as the MBA, the MacBook Air has brought the ultra slim trend closer to home. Apple’s tiniest laptop measures a very sleek 12.8 x 8.94 x 0.76 inches and weighs 3 pounds. A 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of DDR3 SDRAM flow through the Air. Although on the small side, the 120GB SATA hard drive should be more than enough to fit your everyday storage needs. The battery should also last you at least 5 hours. 
Intel’s new Metro laptop was designed by Ziba, and it measures just .7 inches thick. That’s a bout the size of a penny. It weighs just 2.25 pounds and it has flash based memory which is a big part of the reason why boasts a 14 hour battery life. The Metro laptop has not been released yet but it should be out by then end of 2009.
The Dell Adamo is the latest “MacBook Air killer” contender. Slightly thinner than its rival at 13.03 x 9.5 x 0.65 inches, the Adamo is currently the world’s thinnest laptop at 4 pounds. The keyword to remember here is “thin” since it is a tad longer and wider than the Air. The Adamo’s 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor is slightly slower than the Air while its 2GB memory and 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) keep the Adamo within striking distance. The average battery life is measured at 4.5 hours.
